to Desroches and explain
to him the state of things here. If he advises you to remain, you had
better do so. As for your situation, we can always find you another
like it."

"My dear Joseph," said Madame Hochon, following him as he left the
table, "I don't know anything about your uncle's pictures, but they
ought to be good, judging by the places from which they came. If they
are worth only forty thousand francs,--a thousand francs apiece,--tell
no one. Though my grandsons are discreet and well-behaved, they might,
without intending harm, speak of this windfall; it would be known all
over Issoudun; and it is very important that our adversaries should
not suspect it. You behave like a child!"

In fact, before evening many persons in Issoudun, including Max, were
informed of this estimate, which had the immediate effect of causing a
search for all the old paintings which no one had ever cared for, and
the appearance of many execrable daubs. Max repented having driven the
old man into giving away the pictures, and the rage he felt against
the heirs after hearing from Baruch old Hochon's ecclesiastical
scheme, was increased by what he termed his own stupidity. The
influence of religion upon such a feeble creature as Rouget was the
one thing to fear. The news brought by his two comrades decided
Maxence Gilet to turn all Rouget's investments into money, and to
borrow upon his landed property, so as to buy into the Funds as soon
as possible; but he considered it even more important to get rid of
the Parisians at once. The genius of the Mascarilles and Scapins out
together would hardly have solved the latter problem easily.

Flore, acting by Max's advice, pretended that Monsieur was too feeble
to take walks, and that he ought, at his age, to have a carriage. This
pretext grew out of the necessity of not exciting inquiry when they
went to Bourges, Vierzon, Chateauroux, Vatan, and all the other places
where the project of withdrawing investments obliged Max and Flore to
betake themselves with Rouget. At the close of the week, all Issoudun
was amazed to learn that the old man had gone to Bourges to buy a
carriage,--a step which the Knights of Idleness regarded as favorable
to the Rabouilleuse. Flore and Max selected a hideous "berlingot,"
with cracked leather curtains and windows without glass, aged
twenty-two years and nine campaigns, sold on the decease of a colonel,
the friend of grand-marshal Bertrand, who, during the abse